Method of distilling.



' A. G. WATERHOUSE.

METHODOF DISTILLING.

APPLIOATIQN rILBD MAB.13;1909

A'.,G. WATERHOUSE. METHOD 0F DISTILLING.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.13, 1909.

991,570. l Patented Mays, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

temperatureot the liquid being maintained indicate like parts, and in which Bronx, in the county of New 'York and :State 4useful .Iniprovements in Methods of Dis'-4 .products of such distillation.4 v

-`lnodi ticat'ion.

' in sectiona suitable apparatus comprising TRUSTEE, 0F -MONTCLAI'IVM NEW JERSEY.:

ADDlIsoN G. WA'rnnHousE, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., Assieuon To 'r HEonoRE if. 4Bouman,

r Mmnonfor DIsrILmN'G.. v i

' 991,570. specificati@ of Lettersramn.

' application mea'mrh 1 3, 199s.

To all wwm 'it may concern:

Be. it'known that I, ADDISON Gr; VA'I'ER nonsu,-acitizen of the 'United States, and resident of New York city,sborough ofthe of New York, have invented certainI new and tilling, of which the'ollowing is a specitcatien. Y f h lnmy implication Serial No. 449,995 filed August 2l, 1908. now lateut No. 939,301 .ik or. 9, 1909, Iliave set forth a method of diseVY tillinpr wherein a body of liquid is heated, the

at approximately the temperature required for'vaporizing the desired properties from the liquid, and the flow of the liquid controlled by the temperature in' the still or ofl such liquid, and wherein also the fresh inilowing liquid is heated by the heated outJ flowingexhaust. liquid; and in said applica'- tiou l have also set forth the method-,of regulating the heat applied to the still by the My Apresent invention has for its object to further improve. the method of dislilla-f tion and rectification of volatile products, such as alcohohat one lo},)eration and in an automatic and continuousmanner.

By this inv'entioll l am enabled to etl'ect the 'separation of the desired vapor. such as of alcohol, from worts without bringing such viqior and wortsinto condensing: relation to each other. and also to'geuerate the maximum amount of desired vapor from theI worts while limiting the generation of aqueous vaporto a minimum.

ln order to describe my invention that those versed inthe artmay carry out the same.. reference will be had to the aceoni panying drawings, in which like characters F igu're 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus adapted'to carry out my inven tion; Fig. 1'-"is an enlarged sectional Viewl ofthe boiler; Fig. 2 is a horizontal'section of the apparatus -subst-antially on the'line i), 2, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a central section of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and?) arekletailsof a,

Fig. l shows diagrammatically and partly Patented 1\' Iay9,'1911. 's'ei-iarua4saa4. Y f

a ,supply pipevA, a heat exchangqfal heater orvevaporatorC, a boiler-'or' recep-Y tacle D. a cndenserlg'ind analyzmg or 55 ,condensing columns F and G;

The heatexchange B, which'may be of an)Y suitable form, isshown as a closed vessel having two separate compartments formed by partition,Q adapted for transferring heat by conduction fromone compartment to theother, into oneof which com-` partments thesupplyof fresh liquid, such `as fermented warts, enters at its lower 'ex- .treme through' pipe A, and -then through 65 a st'utling box and nipple B', into a lower 'chamber B2, whence it ascends through anumber oflparallel tubes B, into an upper chamber Il", whenceit.continues through valve", which normally remains closed by the' tension of'spring Bs until opened subject. to certain conditions `to be hereafter described. Y

`The conditions under whichthe valve Bf' is opened are, among other things, such as permit'. of thefflow of liquid through f the heatexchan'geas stated, and also such as to cause-a correspondimgT volume lot het exhausted liquid or worts to flow from' the boiler through pipe. D5, and enter the upper part of the outer shell ot' the heat exchange B, outside of tubes-B3, whence it, will slowly descend until4 itvis finally discharged fronithe shell at its lower extreme, Y and out through the discharge pipe il. In 85 this way the out-liowngfhot and exhausted liquid which descends within the shell of vheat exchange B and outside of tubes ll'g;

vl'recome hot. or heatedby vthe time it has vascewled to thetop' thereof,z thereby causy in'g the heat transferred tothe iniiowing` liquid to be. returned: to the apparatusand 'used-over and over again. The thus'heated fresh liquid after being allowed to pass 'the valve Bj",'ascends through pipef'- 1, 4into-a chamber C shown in annular form,which C, is provided Awith a series of 'heatiug" tubes' or passages CT, C1 extendlng into .10

' yfflow successively, as by iiowing into and -then out of one tube, and then lnto and uid, asit enters through the pipe B,'to'io\v same liquid, or inoreliquid which may ac .Such circulation of liqui such as by formy pipes connected'by return bends, or as repreingdown fromnnder the chamber or runway` C', -each tube being provided with 'di- 'comprises atffof evaporator Cj This evap? orator ls-s own partly 1n section 1n Fig. 2,

' 'li uid-has entered ,and flowed from each tu e without escaping from chamber'C. The liquid, ,as stated, enters chamberl C',

. ters and flows from each of thev heating charged -intoboiler D through Van opentreme'of the cham erC, beyond.l the inlet ypipe B".

-1 place of other liquid asit tends to rise in the outer tube Cyafter being brought to a o t0 it within boiler D through the tube-C111 in tubejef.;

and is provided with a central iioor C3, an outer cylindrical shell. .o r wall C, and au inner eaneentric'wall C, which walls arev connected by a radial 'partition C". The bottom' of floor Cs of the annular chamber boilei` vD, through which tubes liquid can throughthe next tube; and so on until the through the pipe B, and then fion-'s around through the chamber C, but in so doing en tubes or'passages C7until the liquid is dis-5 bottomed pipe C, laced at the farther ex- -An innerwall C1 is shown formedby the fioor C"v and concentric wall C?. In wall 'Ci' anopenin'g C11 is shown, which allows hq- 'from any 'determined part of. the ieha'mber Cf', intofthe well 4CFL-and also allows theVV cumulate in the well as the result ofocondenthe liquid on its way around chamber C', as described, until it is discharged through the Inside of each heating tube' C1 is a circu` liquid lthrough bes C7 by offering a paspipe C Vfrom cham er C', and vtake the higher temperature by the heat transmitted Other means may be em loyed for causingllng a continuous passage' by va -s'eries of sented inFig. 4, which shows -twotubes C1, C', closed atqtheir lower ends, andextend-l eti'ieal partitions Ci", as shown, so that e, course of the liquid as indicated by the arrows" iii F`g.}4,fiwil1 bedown a d under each partition, and-then ,up the o er sideI or fitting the interior ofthe tube' and make it` eas to insert or draw out for. thepu'rpose of c eaning the parts'.-

The evaporator C, lbeing connected to the boiler, as by. ian'ge C, provides a closed boiler, -so that whatever steam or vapor is generated in the boiler, 'in order to escape, lmust pass out through the side pipe E, and then up into the condensing column E, as hereinafter described. The evaporator C is also covered and made a'clos'edwessel 'by means of-the .plate C, which vis boltedV to VfiangeC.,so thatall the'vapor generated fromjthe liquid iiowing through 'the evaporator C'is compelled to pass up through opening'C", in the 'plate C, and then into the analyzer or condensing column F, that ,communicates with openino C1", the further action of which vapor will.` e explained.4

Thev liquid discharged into'rthe boiler Dv from'or through the vaporizer or evaporator C would soon fill or overiiow the former, and t o prevent this andv maintain a predeterminedliquid level inthe boiler a iioat D is rovided, which will be'supp'orted o'n the sur ace ofthe liquid and rise'and fall with it,as the surface of thev liquid'changes i from any .predetermined level, such' as. represented by the dotted line WV. lvioithis end fioat. D is shown connectediby rod .I D2, 'to a pivoted lever D, which opens or, closes discharge valve D4, Icontrolling the passage through pipe D", serving to keep the liquid atthe level required. y y f Heat maybe applied to. boiler D in any way known to the art, but ywhich in the present ease is represented by the gas burner H. vThisihtat applies to the uquid vwhich has been discharged into boiler D, andsuch heat is conducted te the fresh li uid while it is passing through'evaporator ,and circula'ting in thetubes C1. One of the leading objects of this inventionis to limit the temperature to which the liquidlinboilcr D v vcan be raised, so l'tlnit'suehtemperature will not exceed that which is just suicient for" driving substantially lall of the alcoholic orr desired vapor from Vt-heworts or other liquid i without generating 'any more steain'or'a4 11e-. ous or other vaporffrom 1t than 1s possi le. Y

Such temperature ,for alcoholic .distillation is slightly belowthey boiling point of water,

at'about 210:l Far. To eifect this a thermal I regulator is used'and adjusted for'operating the 'admission valYeB, sothat at. ap roximately the tem erature desired fresh iquid willbe-allowc toflow through valve B,-

-pipe B, andfevaporator C, into boiler D,

fas/fast as, but no faster than, the applied mostat orheat-actuatcd regulator is'shown,

showmg the open top of one of the tubes C', 'submerged in or placed in thermal eommu- 1 mit the flow n l in its weal'cened state,

.or befbre lhigher temperature,results in generating a nicationvwith the liquid in ,the boiler, the temperature of which is to be limited. The regulator shown comprises a tube or feeler D8, closed at its free end and in open com- -munication with a recess D, closed by a flexible diaphragm or movable member DT adapted to be actuated by a pressure created by the heat of the liquid in the boiler acting' upon some volatile fluid confined 'within feeler D8, and recess D, whereby a determined temperature of the liquid in the boiler will produce motion of the diaphragm D7, which is transmitted to valve B, through valve stem B7, in away which will overcome the resistance of its spring B3, and open valve B", to an extent which will perof fresh. liquidin thev boiler as applied heat can maintain its temperature at approximately the point stated and no faster. In other words, when the temperature of the liquid being treated rises so as to create an initial pressure in the feeler D8 such pressure will cause `the valve B5 vto opento ay limited extent, and a further rise of temperature ofsuch liquid will create a greater pressure in thefeeler fast as the to cause the valve to open more, and so on during` the rise in temperature, but as cooler liquid enters the boileriand thereby tends to reduce the temperature of the liquid controlling the feeler DS the pressure in the feeler decreases proportionately, the result being that there will be a continuons flow of fluid through the still which is not necessarily Constantin volume, but variable according to the pressure caused inthe feeler bythe temperature of such flowing liquid, and according as such temperature may vary, wherebyl the temperature of the eurrent of liquid flowing through the still is prevented from rising too high and likewise prevented from dropping too low, the flow of the current of liquid being proportionate to the amount of opening of valve B5 which depends at all moments upon the temperature of the liquid creasing pressure offluid in the feeler. l i

Heretofore, in dist-illing alcohol in a continuous manner, the richer or fresh worts or solutions fed into the still have been weakened or diluted bybeing fed into the exhausted liquid so that perature is requiredlto separate the -alcohol from suoli diluted liquid, than would have been required at first it had been so diluted, and this larger percntage y of steam pors, as vgell as those of fusel oojectiionable and should be avoided. Again,

-1n allowing alcoholic vapor which has been generated to come into contact with liquid that is cooler than the vapor, much of such vapor is condensed by contact with such Iliquid and carried back to the diluted solua much higher temoils, which are' tion,A from which it must be redistilled in a wa' which entails a greater use of heat and cncumbersithe still with an increased percentage of objectionable vapors which are diflicult to separate from those desired.

rlhe foregoing object-ions become apparent when it is observed that the teniperature required for driving alcoholic vapor from an aqueous solution varies, as, for a solution of 9() per cent. of alcohol, its vapor will start at about 171O liar., in a 25 per tent.` solution its vaporwill start at about 1STo Far., andv from one per cent. solution the alcoholic vapor will start at about Q10", and its evolution bc completed before the boiling point of water is reached.

By my invention the above objections are to a great extent avoided, by means of progressive, increments of heat applied to the solution as it becomesweakened in alcoholic properties (which incren'ients of'heat result from the period of time it takes the liquid to .pass through the apparatus), so that the alcoholic vapor will be generated progressively at the minin'ium. temperature under which it can be driven from the continually weakening solution, and conducted from the solution and condensed, so that the alcoholic vapor will not return to and be condensed by contact with liquid which is cooler than the liquid from which said vapor was driven. These results are effected as follows: As the fresh liquid rises through the-heat exchange B the heat from the hot liquid being discharged in thermal communication with such fresh iniiowing liquid causes the formationI o f valcoholic vapor from such fresh liquid, which vapor with its liquid continues up through the heat exchange and then through valve B5, land pipe l5, into the evaporator C, where the vapor passes over the surface of the liquid circulatingaround the chamber C', (which liquid is continually rising in ten'q'ierature) until such Avapor passes up into the analyzer or condenser F, then as the liquid flows around the evaporator and circulates in each of the tubes as described, the liquid in the' tubes G7 absorbs heat both from the stcan'i and vapor gener'- ate'd in the boiler, and which is above the liquid therein, as well as the heat which is` directly applied to the liquid in the boiler, thus continually increasing the heat of the advancing liquid as the alcohol which itconta'ins grows less in percentage, so that thc vsqiorization of the alcohol takes place at the lowest practicable temperature. Now, the alcoholic vapor which these increments of temperature create, will notl flow backward to the cooler and succeeding liquid which would cause its'condensation, beca-use the first vaporigenerated is flowing from that direction,"so that it with succeeding vapor crowds onward. over the surface of'liquid which is constantly g'rowingliotter, until all example, with the vapor from the liquid is forced up through the opening C16, in plate C, and

then upward through theanalyzer column or condenser F.

iVhen the exhausted liquid from which most of the alcohol has been extracted during i-ts passage through the evaporator C is discharged into the boiler D, as described, it is therein raised to the limit of temperature to be imparted to such liquid, which increase of temperature drives substantially all of the remaining acloholic vapor from such liquid, andwith such vapor more or less aqueous and fusel oil vapors are or may be carried, which latter are mostly condensed after passing through the side pipe E4 into column E, while the alcoholic vapor continues on through connecting pipe E into the top of the analyzing column or condenser F.

The condensates, which are mostly water, and whiclr form in the condensingcolumn l,.and in the analyzing column F and in column G, are disposed of 'as follows: The drain tube E2 leads that condensate which forms in column E back to evaporator C, while that which t'orn'is in column l" returns to evaporator C by `gravitation, and that which 'forms in analyzing column G, returns to evaporator C through the drain tube G2.

The columnsl adapted for arresting aqueous vapors and allowing the alcoholic vapors to continue to a linal condenser, to be connected with pipe G3, (which are not necessary to be shown) are herein represented as cylinders E, l and G, which may be ot' any desired length, or increased in number, and joined in series as the columns l? and G are joined by means oi the connecting pipe G. Such columns may be formed in any way known to the art and used for performing the condensing, analyzing or rectii'ying work'ot' a still, but in this case preference is given to plain cylindrical columns, provided with brushes or string-like hangings, as shown at E3 and F', which may be composed of any unchangcable material, and formed as chains, strips or pendant fibrous material, adapted for tinally dividing` and comminuting the vapor, and causing it to flow in a constantly detiected, sinuous and irregular' course through the columns; and also offering ample surfaces upon which the aqueous vapor can condense and find conductors or passages down which the. condensate can graif'itate orreturn to its source.

A gas burner l-I may be placed under boiler l), and this burner may be supplied with gas i'pom any pcrnnuieut source through the gas pipe ll',l but so that it will only supply a limited amount of gas, or just sufficient 'lor operating the still slowly, and not un'dcr any conditions to rush it beyond its minimum capacity. An auxiliary fuel pipe ll2 leads to the burner H- from the analyzer column G or other suitable part of the still,y and supplies fuel either in the forni of vapor or a condensate from the still, so that the fuel furnished through pipe H2 will cause more or less heat to be produced from the burner H, and this more or less heat will be such as to rush or retard the working of the still in ways which will automatically govern its action to that which will be to its best Working advantage. v

lVith the arrangement shown if the vapor or condensate frompipe H2 should cause the heat to be too great at burner Il the still would be rushed, causing an increase of steam production which passing over and flowing from the pipe H2 would cause modification or reduction of the flame produced by alcoholic vapor or condensate through pipe H2, whereby the still would be slowed down tonapproximately the heat generated by the iiowing from pipe H', and so on. Such heating method is not claimed in this application as the same is included in my said application Serial No. 449,955 now Patent No. 039,361, Nov. 9, 1909.

llaving now described my invention what l claim is:-a

l. The method of distilling consisting in feeding liquid through a heated channel in a still, and gradually increasing the temperature of such liquid as it advances through said-channel to cause such liquid to finally reach a substantially predetermined temperature, causing vapor rising from such liquid in said channel to flow over liquid hotter than that from which such vapor was derived, utilizing the heat' of the residual portion of such liquid from winch the desired parts have been evaporated in creatingl pressure of fluid, and causing pressure ot' such fluid to control the ilow of said liquid through the still.

2. The method of continuous distilling consisting in feeding a currentof liquid through a heated channel inaa still, and

gradually increasing the temperature of,

such current of liquid as it advances through said channel to cause such liquid t0 .finally reach a substantially predetermined temperature, causing vapor rising from such liquid in said channel to iow over liquid hotter than that from 'which such vapor was derived, utilizing the heat of the residual portion of such liquid from which the' desi red parts have been evaporated 1n creating pressure of fluid, and causin pressure of such fluid to effect Ithe continuous flow and regulate the volume of the current of liquid flowing through the still.

3. 'llhe method of distilling consisting in heating a current of liquid to sucessively increasingtemperatures, evaporating desired parts therefrom, and causing the vapor evolved from one portion of suchdiquid to such liquid as it advances through the stillv until 'such-liquid reaches a substantially predetermined degree, advancing cooler vapor Whichfrises from such gradually heated advancing liquid in the direction of flow of such current of liquid and commingling such cooler Vapor with hotter vapor from such liquid, and causing thevheat. of the liquidA from which such vapor has been evaporated to discharge the residual liquid substantially predetermined temperature. fl 5. The method of distilling consisting in passing a current of fresh intlowing liquid into a still in juxtaposition to heated discharge liquid'to heat the inflowing liquid,

gradually increasing' the temperature .of-

such preheated current of liquid flowing through the st-ill, and conducting the vapor rising from said current of liquid in the direction of flow of the liquid and over the surface of, liquid that is hotter than that from which such vapor was evolved.

6. The method of distilling consisting in passing a currentrof fresh infiowing liquid into a still in juxtapositionto. 'heated dis'- charge liquid to heat the iniiowing liquid, gradually increasing the temperature of such preheated current of liquid iowing through the still, conducting the vapor rising from said current of liquid in the direc- 4tion of flow of the liquid and over the surface of liquid that is hotter than that from which such vapor was evolved, and causing the heat of the `.part of the 'liquid from which the desired Vapor has been extracted to control the How of such liquid.

7. The method of distilling consisting in passing fresh liquid through and out of commingling contactA with' a body of heated liquid, discharging vapor at different points in its course through said body of liquid as generated from such fresh liquid, passing such'vapor over the surface of the liquid from which said vapor has been generated,

- and discharging such flowing liquid from qvhich the desired properties have been evaporated into said body of liquid.

8. The method of distilling consisting in passing fresh liquid through and out of commingling contact with a body of heated liquid, discharging vapor as generated from such fresh liquid during the time of its passage through said body ot' liquid, discharging such iowing liquid from which desired properties have been evaporated into said body of liquid, and causing the flow of such`freshliquid to and the discharge of said body of liquid from the still by temperature utilized in such distillation.

9'. The method of distilling consisting in passing fresh liquid through a heated passage having discharge penings between its ends, causing desired vapor from such liquid to be discharged from such openings during its flow through such passage, conducting such vapor over the surface of hotter liquid to mingle with hotter vapor from such liquid, and condensing such commingled vapors.

l0. The method of distilling consisting in distilled which are more volatile than the `liquid from which they are derived by gradually increasing the temperature of such liquid, conducting the vapor so evolved over the surface of liquid hotter than that from which such vapor was derived to iningle with the vapor ,from such hotter liquid, and condensing such commingled vapors.

l1. The method of distilling consisting in vaporizing desired parts from a liquid being distilled which are more volatile than the liquid froml which they are derived by gradually increasing the temperature of. such liquid, conducting the vapor so evolved'l over the surface of liquid hotter than that from which such vapor was derived to mingle with the vaporv from such hotter liquid, condensing such commingled vapors, and causing the heat of such liquid from which said vapor has been evolved to'control the flow of said liquid.

12. The method of distilling consisting in passing fresh liquid through and out of com mingling relationy to a body of liquid, discharging the fresh liquid into said body of liquid, applying heat to said body of liquid to cause evaporation of desired vapor from said fresh liquid and evolve vapor from said body of liquid, separately conducting the vapor from said body of liquid and from said fresh liquid to a condenser, condensing said. vapors, and controlling the fiow of the liquid by heat that effects the vaporization of the liquid.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of New York', this 12th day of March, A. D. 1909.

ADDISON G. WATERHOU'SE. 

